Effect of status threat on preference for cross-domain self-improvement products: The moderation of trade-off beliefs

Yaming Wang, Xingyuan Wang, Chen, Haipeng (Allan) and Qiang Ouyang

Journal of Business Research, 2024, vol. 172, issue C

Abstract: Negative psychological experiences, such as exposure to a status threat, are an important driver of consumer behavior. While existing literature has overwhelmingly argued that consumers endeavor to cope with a status threat via compensatory consumption (i.e., purchasing status-related or hedonic products), other studies have demonstrated that consumers who perceive the threat as controllable tend to resort to adaptive consumption (i.e., within-domain self-improvement products). The current research proposes that perceived loss of control stemming from a status threat leads to consumers' preference for cross-domain self-improvement products. Further, trade-off beliefs moderate the effect of status threat on perceived loss of control, which in turn predicts preference for cross-domain self-improvement products. These findings contribute to the theorization of status threat and cross-domain self-improvement products and provide significant practical implications for marketers.

Keywords: Status threat; Cross-domain self-improvement products; Perceived loss of control; Trade-off beliefs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:172:y:2024:i:c:s0148296323007592

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114400

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